Fox News: WH told us last week Obama won’t do any interviews with us this year; Update: Nixonian?

AllahpunditPosted at 4:53 pm on October 12, 2009

What’s the significance of this, aside from it being your daily reminder that Wallace was right? Go watch the clip of Anita Dunn whining on CNN or just skip ahead here to 2:25. Kurtz specifically asked her whether The One would sit for an interview with one of Fox’s news shows this year. Her weaselly response was to say that he would — eventually — while neglecting to mention one tiny fact revealed below by Rosen: She’d already given Fox a hard no for the remaining three months of this year and pretty obviously didn’t want to acknowledge it on CNN lest it show just how petty The One is. In fact, so coincidental is Kurtz’s question in hindsight that I wonder if some Foxie didn’t tip him to the freeze-out before the interview so that he could put her on the spot about it. Although if that were true, why didn’t he follow up and reveal the freeze-out when she declined to do so?

As for Rosen’s assertion that no administration officials have done Fox News Sunday since last August, I’m assuming he meant this August. Gibbs appeared on the show in late July, although maybe Rosen was referring to policymakers/cabinet officials, not the White House press department. Wallace did interview Geithner just a few days ago, but that was for an event at the Newseum, not for FNS. Who knows if the White House knew who the interviewer would be.

Exit question: Did Roger Ailes slip Axelrod a briefcase full of money or something at that tete-a-tete last month in return for his promise to keep demagoging FNC? Being number one on the White House enemies list must be worth millions in free publicity. Click the image to watch.

Update: Ed sends along this piece from lefty TV critic David Zurawik, daring to invoke the specter of the jowled one to express his contempt for Dunn and Obama.

I have been writing for several months about how thin skinned the White House has been about press criticism — especially when it comes to the Fox News Channel. I have compared the current administration to the White House of Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew, and believe me, I did not do that lightly. Nixon-Agnew was a very dark time for the First Amendment…

This campaign by the Obama administration is dangerous to press freedom, and it should concern everyone in the press, not just Fox. If you want to get a sense of little regard Team Obama has for the press in general, check out this “Time” magazine article. You have to wonder who else is on this administration’s enemies list.